Restoring longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands: effects of restoration treatments on natural loblolly pine regeneration

Published source details Knapp B.O., Wang G.G., Hu H., Walker J.L. & Tennant C. (2011) Restoring longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands: effects of restoration treatments on natural loblolly pine regeneration. Forest Ecology and Management, 262, 1157-1167.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use mechanical thinning before or after planting Action Link

Use mechanical thinning before or after planting

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2007-2010 in temperate coniferous forest in Georgia and North Carolina, USA (Knapp et al. 2011) found that cutting treatments increased the height of planted longleaf pine Pinus palustris seedlings, and decreased their density at one of two sites. At one site, seedling height was lower in uncut (20 cm) than intensively cut (50 cm) and clearcut plots (58 cm) and similar to the last two in intermediate-cut plots (30 cm). The number of new germinants/ha was lower in clearcut (167) than intermediate cut and uncut plots (8,208-10,458) and similar to the other treatments in intensively cut plots (2,319). At a second site, seedling height was lower in intensively cut and uncut plots (30-42 cm) than in clearcut plots (85 cm) and similar to the other treatments in moderate-cut (46 cm). The number of new germinants/ha (32,083-329,167) was similar in all treatments. Monitoring was in May 2010 in four randomly assigned 1 ha treatment plots: uncut; intermediate cut (residual basal area 9 m²); intensive cut (residual basal area 6 m²); clearcut. Treatments were replicated seven times at the first site and three times at the second site. All plots were all planted with longleaf pine seedlings in January 2008. Treatments were applied in 2007. In January-April 2010 prescribed burns were conducted in all plots.